what is eating the barley whiskers?

[Little squeak]

I was out spraying the spring barley with fungicide today and found I had patches in it that had the whiskers missing on closer inspection found the likely culprit. Has anyone had any experience with this? Are there thresholds regarding spraying the little critters? Will they move onto the grain next? Any suggestions except for importing a flock of robins to eat them.

 

[Badshot]

I doubt there's much would knock them out.
Dursban may have given them a headache.

 

[Little squeak]

You don't think a squirt of cypermethrin would fix them?

I have never seen caterpillars on barley like that before I have no idea what they would pupate into.

 

[Spencer]

Found them on SW yesterday here.

 

[teslacoils]

Better pic? Box tree caterpillar?

 

[Little squeak]

I'm not sure if this is any better of a picture. it came 5.5mm of rain last night which probably isn't enough to drown them

 

[Flatlander]

Look very much like army worm. Look under the crop and see if you can find small rabbit droppings. 1/8 diameter.
if numbers are high enough they can make a mess in a crop. They’ll chew stems off at the base once they can’t climb from getting heavy.

 

[teslacoils]

Look very much like army worm. Look under the crop and see if you can find small rabbit droppings. 1/8 diameter.
if numbers are high enough they can make a mess in a crop. They’ll chew stems off at the base once they can’t climb from getting heavy.

Unsure. I am going to stick with box tree caterpillar. I have a feeling that army worm are not native here?

 

[Little squeak]

After reading a bit about army worms I'm not sure if it's hot enough for them as they are more of a greenhouse pest here and are also notifiable I really hope they are not. That said, from what I have read since telsacoils brought the Box tree caterpillar to my attention they are not native either and apparently due to toxins in their bodies even the birds will not eat them.

 

[teslacoils]

The NHBS Guide to UK Caterpillar Identification

Caterpillars are part of the life cycle of moths or butterflies which is known as complete metamorphosis. This life cycle includes four stages: egg, caterpillar (also known as the larval or feeding stage), pupa (the transition stage) and adult (the reproductive phase). With over 2,600 species of...

www.nhbs.com

 

[Bogweevil]

?Silver Y moth - feeds on wide range of plants >200, sporadic. Very variable caterpillars. Not usually worth bothering about, even on horticultural crops

Box tree caterpillar only feeds on box and nothing else. Ever.

Spodoptera species (armyworms) - unkown in UK - call APHA if you find one.

 

[Little squeak]

What I have doe's look alot like a box tree moth caterpillar (this is a picture of one not mine.) and there has been a study in holland which did show they did feed on some other shrubs but spring barley wasn't mentioned. I'm not sure what to think
https://butterfly-conservation.org/...03/36034147522_e8792e158d_o.jpg?itok=tdpbRJEw

 

[WillYorkshire]

Our osr, which looks a reasonable crop, is showing signs of grazing, right to the top. It's slugs in our case. Never seen so many, following wheat could be a challenge!

 

[deleted user 837354]

Just another reason not to grow that common weed known as barley.

 

[Spencer]

Just another reason not to grow that common weed known as barley.

Just change your name to I hate barley why don’t you

 

[deleted user 837354]

Just change your name to I hate barley why don’t you

It was already taken.

So I tried 'I hate Oilseed Rape' and would you know that was already taken as well.

 

[Little squeak]

some more pictures here I have put some in a jam jar to see what they grow into. I have also introduced a piece of box tree but as yet they don't seem interested. I have found they are "loopers" which means they have no legs in the middle and have to move along by looping up their body.

 

[RushesToo]

Try a green clover worm:

Green cloverworm - Google Search

 

[Nearly]

Good luck.

 

[Little squeak]

For anyone still interested I contacted APHA and they confirmed they were caterpillars of the silver Y moth https://cropscience.bayer.co.uk/agronomy-id/pest-and-slugs/silver-y-moth I have sprayed that patch of barley with this https://www.syngenta.co.uk/product/crop-protection/kung-fu so hopefully that will kung fu them. Top marks to Bogweevil